Lovers and Friends

Drive-in

Olivia had definitely miscalculated.

Absolutely not something she did often, but with the Arizona sun beaming down on her, she grudgingly admitted her mistake.

When she said yes to this trip and thought about spending time with Jordan and Simone... and Spencer, there was one tiny but irritating detail that she hadn't accounted for.

A constantly shirtless Spencer.

Liv could barely manage to sit still in her oversized lounge chair by the pool with Spencer beside her later that afternoon. And she had been the one to suggest the poolside lounge so she truly was a masochist. For probably the third time in an hour, she thanked baby Jesus for the sunglasses hiding her constantly shifting eyes.

Maybe if her revelation about her feelings had happened after this trip, it wouldn't have been such a problem. But alas, here she was. Fighting to keep her eyes closed and away from the man next to her.

"Liv?"

His voice broke through her efforts to block out everything around her, especially him.

He was frowning at her slightly. "What's going on?"

"Nothing!" Her smile was comically wide. "What's up?"

He held a book out to her. A book she had told him two weeks ago that she wanted to read.

She raised both eyebrows at him and didn't take the book.

"You said you forgot to bring a book when we were on the plane, and I know this one was on your list. I checked it out from the library to read it but you can take it."

She couldn't help but smirk. "You wanted to read about Ida B. Wells?"

The grin he gave her in return felt dangerous for her but still rooted her to her spot.

"I been taking your recs since day one, remember?"

There was something there that she refused to think about. It's important to him, so it's important to you, her traitorous heart whispered anyway.

Refocusing on him, she responded, "But you brought it for yourself. I can't take it from you."

He only nudged it closer to her. "Me and J are gone do some reps whenever he appears. I want you to have it," he insisted.

Just as Liv was about to snatch the book to go sit on the edge of the pool for a literal cool down, Jordan came running up behind Spencer and slapped the back of his uninjured shoulder in one hand while carrying a football with the other.

"Hey, up for those reps I promised?"

He didn't wait for an answer, just continued jogging to an open area. She frowned and opened her mouth to fuss at Jordan but Spencer was already standing over her to slip the book into her lap. With a wink, he was off behind Jordan. A voice broke her stare from where it had followed them — him.

"Hi, Livvie," Simone sang as she came to join Liv on her lounger.

"Hey Si," Liv smiled as Simone linked their arms as they stretched out next to each other.

Liv nudged her and smirked. "Have a good start to your trip?" Simone laughed, "do you really want me to answer that?"

"Absolutely not. Please don't," Liv laughed with her. "How's Atlanta?"

"It's good. But I miss you all. So much."

"We miss you too... but you're happy there, right?"

"Yeah," Simone smiled. "It was an adjustment... still is an adjustment... but I feel like I made the right choice."